In progress

T1 | Interconnected Properties

Eco-Evo Dynamics of a pest-parasitoid community
Investigating how biological control of pests by parasitoids will respond to climate change in the long term.
In progress

T1 | Health Frameworks

Predicting the state of New Zealand’s Forests in the 22nd Century
Understanding and predicting where, why and how forests react to climate change.
Completed

T1 | Health Frameworks

Can we plan landscapes that are resilient to emerging disease?
Building spatially explicit models to guide conservation of a critically endangered wetland tree in mixed-use landscapes
Completed

T1 | Interconnected Properties

A global analysis of crop–pest interactions
Investigating why some crops exhibit greater resistance to specific pests, while others do not by identifying the underlying biological and anthropogenic factors that contribute to enhanced food security
Completed

T1 | Ecosystem Health

Understanding the drivers of plant health
Investigating the contribution of the plant microbiome to plant health and to then determine microbiome transferability to enhance restoration plantings.
Completed

T1 | Microbe-Host Interactions

Unveiling the molecular secrets of kauri dieback: Shedding light on Phytophthora agathidicida genome and effector genes
The world’s first Phytophthora chromosome level-assembly that led to the discovery of the genome and effector genes of Phytophthora agathidicida.
Completed

T1 | Harnessing Biodefences

Fighting crop pathogens with viruses
Investigation of the bacterium Pectobacterium and the viruses (bacteriophages) that infect it to learn about the defences and counter-defences involved in this microscopic warfare.
Completed

T1 | Genomic Pest Control

Genetic and genomic approaches to pest and pathogen control
Gaining insights into the microbiome of biocontrol agents and pests, focusing on the Argentine stem weevil and the Varroa mite
In progress

T1 | Microbial Defence

Understanding the antagonistic fungus–microbe interactions of apple scab
Understanding apple scab fungus interactions with leaf phyllosphere microbiota, and the role of Venturia inaequalis secreted effector proteins in these interactions.
Completed

T1 | Microbial Defence

Interactions between bacteria on kiwifruit leaves
Exploring interactions between kiwi leaf colonising bacteria and their potential role in the pathogen resistance of the plant